The Shielded One
by Ninja Hinder
Summary: Ioseph Andrickson is an EDF soldier with a shield. Faceless and wordless, but he has a past. Oneshot. Don't be afraid to write a review.


**I did this when I was bored. Enjoy! It's funny how little things matter to you when you play this game, like the lives of the people you're blowing up.**

**Name: **Ioseph Andrickson

**Age: **27

**Specialization: **Riot Control

**Rank: **Private

**Gear: **Enforcer Gun; Titanium Riot Shield; Standard EDF Armor.

**Mission: **Stop and kill Alec Mason

Ioseph was finally being called into action. Alec Mason had destroyed a large bridge in the middle of the Badlands, and an important one at that. A soldier nearby witnessed this and called for the EDF to send everything in. This bridge was very important to the EDF when they needed to get convoys from place to place, and its destruction would not go unpunished. Ioseph didn't think he would be called into action. He was on station at a small base in Oasis, and he was sure that the threat would blow over, Mason would get away, and things would return to normal. The Riot Control specialist was listening to the EDF chatter for updates on the matter, when his life changed forever.

"A groundhog truck is rolling in, filled with civilians. What do I do, sir?" A rookie asked. He was obviously new to the EDF.

"Shoot them you idiot! They'll learn to stay out of the way of the operations!" The field commander replied. From the sounds Ioseph heard, the soldiers were fighting a losing battle.

"Holy crap! They're getting out of the truck! They have guns! What do I-"The rookie was cut off by gunfire that presumably killed him. Suddenly, the screen to the left of Ioseph Andrickson lit up with a message telling him to gear up and head into the combat! He had to grab his weapon and put his armor on, and get in the small EDF car in less than five minutes, a feat he had been training to be able to accomplish in these conditions for the past few years. Ioseph reminisced about his training as they headed towards the Badlands.

He had gone to a recruiting office back on Earth. It was a busy day in New York, and there was a slight drizzle. He had just learned that his family had been killed in a car crash in downtown Manhattan. He didn't like his family too much, and decided to join the Earth Defense Force and see what fate brought him. After passing a few physical and mental tests, which he scored a bit below average on, he was accepted into the EDF and sent to Death Valley (because it looked a bit like Mars) in the Southwest. He was given a special suit that made him lighter, since there was less gravity on Mars.

He was trained for a full year, and although he scored below average on his entrance tests, in Death Valley he pushed himself to the breaking point and excelled in all activities. Despite this, it took another full year before he was sent to Mars as an official EDF cadet. During his first week there he chose to be a riot control specialist and was then put into what other cadets called Mars Therapy. Through some surgeries and training he was turned into a nearly mindless, opinion less, and emotionless killing machine. He would shoot into rioting crowds without second thought or remorse. Ioseph was hypnotized and beat into following all orders from superiors. The Sergeant who was putting him through his final training was impressed at his abilities. Ioseph would do anything he was told, no matter what.

On his final day of training he was put through the final test. The cadet was given a handgun, and was shown a room. In this room, cowering in the corner was an old woman, convicted of shoplifting. The scientists, handlers, and trainers on hand hypnotized Ioseph into believing that woman was his grandmother. They would have used a mother figure until they say that his mother was dead. The sergeant then ordered Andrickson to enter the room and shoot the woman dead, which he did with efficiency. The scientists wiped his mind of the memory of the final test, and sent him to the graduation facility.

His graduation was short and sweet. He was handed a small diploma, given a shield, a gun, and some armor, and then flown to the base in Oasis that he stayed in for two years without any action. But this was his day.

Ioseph was in the passenger seat while his friend drove. This friend was the only other person at the base, and one of the only people Andrickson had seen for the past 700 Earth days. His name was Dillon Hark. This man was a marksman with no experience whatsoever, and obviously younger. Regulations had been applied on the Mars Therapy shortly after Andrickson had left the cadet base, and anyone younger than him could still express a variety of emotions. These two privates were discussing horror stories about Alec Mason.

"I hear he can topple a building in a single swing from his sledgehammer! He can shoot a flyer out of the sky with a single bullet!" Exclaimed Dillon as he swerved out of the way of a mining vehicle.

"Watch your driving, Hark. While he _does _have exceptional marksmanship, we both know that flyers are virtually bulletproof from any conventional, non-explosive weapons. And no building on Mars can be toppled with a single swing of a mere sledgehammer." Ioseph replied.

"But still, we're up against the best man in the business. I hear he fights because his brother was killed by a flyer!" Said Dillon, still visibly excited underneath his armor. That statement brought up a rare painful memory about Andrickson's own killed family. He turned his head towards the dust-covered window, signaling an end to the conversation.

As the EDF transport rolled up to the bridge and the large firefight between the Red Faction and the EDF, even Ioseph couldn't help feeling a twinge of anxiety. He had left his life up to fate, and now it may come back to bite him. Out of nowhere, a sniper bullet flew through the window and into Dillon's shoulder. He lost control of the vehicle! Ioseph quickly rolled out and dived behind the nearest supply crate, and poked his head out just in time to see the EDF transport roll off of the cliff where the huge bridge once was. _Goodbye, Dillon Hark._

Ioseph sprinted over to the field commander, shield and gun in hand.

"Sir, can I get a sit-rep?" He asked.

"There are 10 Guerillas including Alec Mason on the other side of this road. We think we have them pinned down well enough. Right now there's fourteen," A piercing scream was heard, "Make that thirteen EDF soldiers on this side of the road. I've called for more backup and it should arrive soon. Be careful, Mason has a sniper rifle, and he's pretty accurate." Was the answer. "Hey, where's your partner? I thought I called for two soldiers from Oasis?"

Ioseph opened his mouth to reply when he saw Alec Mason himself poke his head out from a barricade to survey the situation. Andrickson was stirred. He had waited years for a moment to shine, and he was certain this was that moment. He crouched down, shield in front of him, and began moving towards Mason's position. Bullets poured down on his shield like rain, so much so that Ioseph struggled to hold his shield right. Quite suddenly a sniper bullet struck his foot, causing him to fall forward into an awkward and vulnerable mix between a crouch and a crawl. He had enough time left to look up and see Mason look into his sniper scope and pull the trigger, ending his 'moment to shine' and his life.

Alec Mason briefly turned to an ally next to him, remarked, "God I hate the ones with shields." And picked off the field commander.


End file.
